


Firewood

by CactusPot



Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, During Canon, Gen, just tryna get a feel for Dawn y'know, set during the morning of Backstabbers Ahoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:22:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29788440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CactusPot/pseuds/CactusPot
Summary: “Hello, little ones.” Dawn extended a palm, and one bold, puffy-faced ‘munk crawled into her hand. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas about Scott, do you?”Scott was the final curiosity on which she sought direction. More so than Lightning’s or Sam’s, his aura eluded her. Dawn had pieced together slivers of information—he hadn’t received enough attention during his critical imprinting period, for example—but overall, Scott was a rusted-over chest, and she hadn’t yet found the key.
Relationships: Dawn & Scott (Total Drama)
Kudos: 10





	Firewood

Dawn rose with the sun. Usually, she was quick to dress and disappear into the forest. On this particular morning, however, she moved sluggishly and took an extra few moments to shrug on her sweater and slip on her shoes. The explanation was obvious: Chris’s nighttime challenge had disrupted her circadian rhythm.

After she was dressed fully, Dawn nicked an extra trash bag from the bottom of the empty wastebasket. Only then did she slip out of her room to greet the waiting world. Before she left the clearing, Dawn looked back and surveyed the cabins. The campground’s energy had shifted during the night. That was expected; the energy always adjusted after campers were voted off at elimination ceremonies.

“It hasn’t diminished,” Dawn mumbled, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She glanced from the Rats’ cabin to the Maggots’ cabin, both perfectly still in the early morning. “It’s been… redistributed?”

A team switch, then. That was the most likely explanation for the unusual energy. And since Dawn hadn’t been awoken by Jo, Zoey, or Anne Maria entering her dorm, the options were threefold: Mike, Cameron, or Brick.

Dawn examined the energy diffusion again. Something in the prickly haze surrounding the Maggot girls’ room inclined her to suppose Brick was her new teammate. If she had wanted to, Dawn could have investigated further to confirm her suspicions. Ultimately, she decided to continue on with her morning. She’d uncover the full story sooner or later, be it at breakfast or when Chris announced the challenge.

With those musings tucked in the back of her mind, Dawn ventured into the woods for her morning meditation. On her first morning on the island, she’d tried to meditate in the cabin. The cabin’s confined space had limited her concentration on the whispers of the universe, and that wasn’t even to mention Dakota’s presence. The next morning Dawn had set off for the woods in search of a more productive meditation area. She’d been successful, and since that session had gone well enough, she was now returning to the same spot.

Today, in particular, mindfulness was essential. So much had transpired between the previous evening and today; Dawn needed the time to sift through it all.

There was B’s elimination of course. That dwelled at the front of Dawn’s consciousness as she settled underneath the trunk of a stout oak tree. She closed her eyes and retraced the events that had led up to and followed the marshmallow ceremony. B’s aura, usually so pleasant, had been splotched with brown as Chris hurled him into the night. Something had been amiss; why else would his aura have discolored so?

_What else_? Oh, Mike’s splintered consciousness. Dawn failed to understand why he had yet to tell his teammates. Perhaps if she intervened, she could spare heartache from both Zoey and Anne Maria. Her eyes remained shut, but Dawn’s lip twitched as she considered the possibilities. It certainly wasn’t her place to fully explain the alters to Mike’s friends. Still, the urge to help, in any way at all, pestered at Dawn’s soul like a hungry chipmunk. 

Speaking of chipmunks, a loud, bright blue chittering filled Dawn’s ears. She opened one eye; several six-legged chipmunks had scampered up to her.

“Hello, little ones.” Dawn extended a palm, and one bold, puffy-faced ‘munk crawled into her hand. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas about Scott, do you?”

Scott was the final curiosity on which she sought direction. More so than Lightning’s or Sam’s, his aura eluded her. Dawn had pieced together slivers of information—he hadn’t received enough attention during his critical imprinting period, for example—but overall, Scott was a rusted-over chest, and she hadn’t yet found the key.

The chipmunks kept Dawn company as her meditation moved from the particular to the general. The exercise was not just for advice, after all; it was about reconnecting with the environment and grounding herself with the day ahead. When she felt sufficiently prepared, Dawn brushed off the dirt, stood up, and thanked the chipmunks for their camaraderie. Her next order of business was collecting more keepsakes. Flypaper, spoons, shiny pebbles—anything that captured the essence of Camp Wawanakwa.

During her meditation, her thoughts had been drawn to one word: _firewood_. Not only would that be perfect for Crud’s List, but perhaps it’d lead her to a breakthrough with Scott. She could build two nests with one stick, metaphorically speaking.

The sunlight warmed Dawn as she found her way to the fire pit. She deduced from the sun’s angle that two hours had elapsed since she’d ventured into the woods. At this point, her fellow campmates were either fully awake or finally stirring from the depths of sleep. The camp would soon buzz with teenagers, but she’d likely be left alone.

Six hours ago, the fire pit had blazed with an ominous light. Dawn hadn’t been present for such a spectacle, but the evidence lay buried in the pit itself. Logs of various colors rested in the ashes. Some were charred or singed, while others had yet to be scarred by flame.

Dawn dropped to her knees, gently picked up a log, and inspected its chi; it was extremely important to only collect properly-balanced wood. Imagine how disastrous it would be if a poorly-aligned log ruined its buyer’s chakras. She shuddered at the thought. _I mustn’t take any chances_.

And so she spent several minutes sorting through each individual timber. She chose an assortment of wood, some burned and some green. Dawn had just about finished when rhythmic footsteps alerted her to a new presence. As she set one final woodblock into her bag, she heard: “Morning, fellow teammate!”

So her conjecture _had_ been correct. 

As Dawn stood up, Brick picked up one of her discarded, bad-chi logs. “Need assistance chopping wood?”

Like Zoey’s, Brick’s aura—equal parts baby blue and buttercup yellow—was an easy read, unhindered by emotional walls. Even though she hadn’t spent much time around him, Dawn had already picked up on several key facets of his personality. Oh, he tried so hard to do the right thing. Noble, indeed, but she’d noted several ways he could benefit from better self-awareness.

“You don’t have to help me just because you were teased a lot as a child,” she said in an attempt to be helpful.

Brick’s eyes widened and he stumbled over his words. “Wha-who told you _that_?”

“It’s right there in your aura, between your bladder control issues and your need to be dominated.”

She’d added the last tidbit had been in reference to the fact that, over Brick’s shoulder, Dawn could see Jo fast approaching. Judging by the smirk on her face _and_ her fuzzy bluebell aura, Jo had some snappy remarks lined up for her former teammate.

Brick spluttered out a feeble refutation, but Dawn was already walking away. She had spoken all she had to say on the matter; any further elaboration would be a disservice to Brick. Also, she sensed she wouldn’t be needed in the ensuing conversation.

With her trash bag in hand, Dawn retraced her steps back to the campgrounds. Most of the contestants were nowhere to be seen. Beside the Maggots’ cabin, Mike and Cameron were deep in discussion. Judging by the relaxed spirals radiating out of Mike’s splintered aura, the subject matter wasn’t anything too heavy. Darn. She’d hoped that Mike would confide in Cameron sooner rather than later.

But that was neither here nor there. For now, Dawn needed to focus on her own team. The only Toxic Rat in sight was Sam, hunched over on the steps of their cabin. He tapped away at his Game Guy and didn’t look up as Dawn settled beside him.

“Hello, Sam. How goes the gaming?”

“Dawn!” She’d spooked him, judging by his sudden jolt and the way his aura fuzzed around the edges. After inhaling deeply, Sam adjusted his crooked glasses and repositioned his thumbs on the controller. “Hey. It’s going good. Chef’s taken half of my games, but hopefully I can make it through the competition with my last two or three, heh heh.”

“That would be impressive, yes.” Here was another person with a stable, open aura; it revealed his dependency on technology that had developed after a cross-country move had torn him from his childhood friends. Dawn would have given him some advice on the situation if her current priorities hadn’t lain elsewhere. “I don’t suppose you know Scott’s whereabouts, do you?”

“He bolted into the woods after Lightning’s freakout.”

_Freak out_ …? Dawn’s brow furrowed. _What did I miss during my wanderings_?

“If you find him, make sure you’re back for breakfast so the whole team is at max HP. I’m heading over for some fuel after I beat this level, heh heh.”

“We’ll return for mealtime,” Dawn assured him. “I’ll talk to you then, Sam.”

She didn’t wait for a response before heading off to continue her search. It wasn’t her intuition that told her Scott hadn’t wandered far, but rather logic: he wouldn’t stray too far from camp with a meal imminent. Still, Wawanakwa’s forests were sprawling and expansive. Dawn needed a moment to focus in on a direction.

Dawn stood stock-still and concentrated on the life energy emanating from the forest. For the second time that morning, a chattering reached her ears. The puffy-faced chipmunk from earlier scampered up to her shoes.

“Hello again, dearest.” Dawn scooped it up. “Have _you_ seen Scott?”

The chipmunk nodded and chittered wildly. It pointed all four of its free hands towards the right. Dawn trusted its directions, and so she set off. The path she took kept relatively close to the perimeter of the forest. As she walked, Dawn and the chipmunk held a lovely conversation.

After a short venture, into view came Scott. He was crouched over, poking around at a mushroom-coated log. Dawn smiled. _It would appear I’m not alone in my fondness for flora_. 

She let her chipmunk friend down so he could return to his family and then joined her teammate.

“Fungi are beautiful creatures, aren’t they?” Dawn peered over Scott’s shoulder.

“Ah!” A startled Scott leaped to his full height. Apart from spiking in fear, his aura revealed nothing new. When Scott realized it was only her, his expression settled back to its usual wry frown.

“Jeez, Dawn, can’t a guy take a nice morning stroll in peace?”

“Certainly.” Her gaze hovered on the space above his hair. She was waiting for his aura to solidify into something more tangibly readable. But, like Scott’s physical expression, it had returned to its usual murky equilibrium. “I didn’t realize you were one for nice morning strolls.”

“Figured I might as well.”

“Did you see anything interesting?”

“Ran into Dakota,” he said shortly. “Wasn’t much help, but she _did_ remind me that breakfast starts soon.”

“Yes, Sam reminded me as well. I told him we’d be back in time.”

Dawn began the walk back to camp, and Scott followed.

“Great,” he said. “I’ve been up since seven and I’m _starving_.”

“Seven early for you?”

“On the farm? Nah. But since I’m on this crummy island, I’ve been taking the opportunity to sleep in.” Scott’s expression soured. “Not today, though, since Brick’s _stupid_ alarm clock woke all us guys up. Oh yeah, guess you don’t know—Army Guy’s on our team now.”

“So I gathered,” Dawn replied. “Hopefully our losing streak will end now that we have another positive presence on the team.”

“Hrmph.”

Dawn paused at Scott’s lack of enthusiasm. Logically, anyone in the competition would be ecstatic if they no longer risked elimination every day. So why wasn’t Scott…? His aura offered no clues. Perhaps he was simply phlegmatic by nature. Or perhaps he disliked Brick for some reason unbeknownst to her.

A low-hanging branch forced both of them to duck. Dawn’s trash bag bumped against her leg as she did so. The rustling caught Scott’s attention, and he pointed to the bag.

“Killed someone this morning?”

Dawn smiled at his joke, morbid as it may have been. “I’m just collecting.”

“Collecting…?”

“Collecting.” She gave a firm nod. “Wawanakwa is littered with interesting objects.”

“Interesting objects, you say?” Scott said. His aura churned, and Dawn’s eyes lit up; perhaps she’d make a breakthrough after all. “You don’t happen to mean the invincibility idol, do you?”

Darn. In all honesty, she’d forgotten about that until now. “Oh no. I haven’t found it.”

“Ah.” Scott nodded sagely. “Good to know.”

“Are _you_ looking for it?”

“Not _actively_. Just keepin’ it in the back of my mind.”

_Perhaps later I should also try my hand at seeking out the idol_. It would be beneficial in-game, but a genuine Total Drama Invincibility Statue would likely fetch a better price than pretty shells.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you enjoy whittling, right, Scott?”

“I guess.”

Dawn didn’t say anything.

As she’d hoped, Scott huffed and filled the silence.

“I’m pretty good at it if I don’t say so myself. Every Christmas I spend my free time carving sheep and stuff, and then I sell them to the geezers at my mom’s church.”

“What a wonderful hobby,” Dawn didn’t celebrate Christmas, but it was intriguing to know Scott apparently had a soft side.

“Quick way to make a buck,” Scott said. “Gave me some spending cash when…” He trailed off and suddenly frowned. “Not that any of that’s _your_ business.”

“I’m not trying to pry. I’m just curious. You’re a very private person, you know.”

“I actually didn’t know that,” Scott deadpanned. “Thanks for telling me.”

By now, they were nearing the campsite. Thank the earth for that; Dawn wasn’t getting anywhere with this conversation. Rustling Scott’s feathers had been the last thing she’d wanted. Perhaps all that mystery was discreetly obscuring family troubles.

“In any case”—Dawn halted, and Scott followed her lead—“I have a present that I think you’ll enjoy.”

“ _Present_?” Scott’s eyebrows rose. “For _me_?”

She rustled through her bag and retrieved two of her best picks from the fire pit. “I supposed you’d like some more wood for your whittling.”

He was apparently befuddled at the concept of receiving a gift. Dawn took his hands and placed the logs in his grasp. “Use this well, Scott.”

At last, Scott snapped out of his confusion. His grip tightened on the wood and he offered to Dawn a pat on the back and a sarky smile. “I _definitely_ will, Dawn. Thanks, pal.”

Still, nothing new appeared in his aura. Just the same swirl of muddy colors. Dawn brushed aside her disappointment. “Of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> If it's any consolation, Dawn figured out the deal with Scott's aura by the end of the day hahahaha
> 
> Anyway, I don't have much practice writing from Dawn's POV so I figured I'd take a crack at this. Her and Scott's relationship was interesting for like, the ten minutes it existed, but it was really underdeveloped. SMH why is the best season only thirteen episodes?


End file.
